Spinning of artificial filaments



Patented Dec. 29, 1936 UNITED STATES FATE T CFFI 'QE SPINNING F ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS tion of Delaware No Drawing. Application April 24, 1929, Serial No. 357,878

14 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of films or filaments such as artificial yarns, fibres, bristles, straw, ribbons, and the like, from solutions containing organic derivatives of cellulose.

An object'of our invention is to prepare filaments or films containing organic derivatives of cellulose that are tougher and more pliable than those heretofore made.

Another object of our invention is to form films or filaments containing organic derivatives of cellulose from solutions thereof containing glycerides or alcohol esters of fatty acids. Other objects of our invention will appear from the following detailed description.

This application is in part a continuation of our copending application Serial No. 318,583 filed November 10, 1928. V

Artificial filaments containing organic derivatives of cellulose have been prepared formerly by precipitants for the organic derivatives of cellulose, are added to the spinning solution containing the same, filaments may be formed that are tougher and more pliable, and in some instances, also more readily delustered than those made by the prior processes. Yarns made from such 'filaments, among other desirable properties, may have a much higher twist safely imparted there- 'to, they may be safely knitted more closely on a circular knitting machine.

In accordance with our invention, we prepare filaments or films from solutions containing organic derivatives of cellulose in a suitable solvent,

in which solutions there has been incorporated, a glyceride of a fatty acid or other fatty acid ester. The solution so formed, preferably after thorough mixing to obtain uniformity, may be filtered and then extruded through orifices of required size either into a drying or evaporative atmosphere, as in dry spinning, or into a precipitating bath containing liquids such as Water, kerosene, etc., as in wet spinning.

The filaments that may be formed by our'invention may be fine filaments having a denier 56 say of less than 1 to 10 or more, such as are used for making yarns, or they may be much heavier, having a denier of say 50 to 2000 to be used as artificial bristles for making brushes or for making artificial furs, etc. Our invention may also be advantageously employed for making tough 5 and pliable films for photographic or other purposes, for making plastics, etc., where pliability is required. Any suitable organic derivative of cellulose may be used in our invention. These may be organic esters of cellulose such as cellulose acetate, cellulose formate, cellulose proprionate and cellulose butyrate or they may be cellulose ethers such as ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose and benzyl cellulose.

Any suitable solvent or solvent mixture may be employed, such as olein or stearin or materials derivatives of cellulose. Examplesofsuchsolvents are acetone, chloroform, or ethylene dichloride, or solvent mixtures such as ethylene dichloride and ethyl or methyl alcohol, or methylene chloride and ethyl or methyl alcohol. We have found it often advantageous to add lower alcohol such as ethyl alcohol'or methyl alcohol to a solvent like acetone, since the presence of these alcohols act as solvents for the glycerides of fatty acids, 5 and thus aid in forming a homogeneous solution.

Any suitable glyceride of a fatty acid may be employed, such as alein or stearin or materials containing the same. These oils or fats may be of animal or vegetable origin. Specificallywe prefer to employ olive oil. These glycerides of fatty acids may be first dissolved in a small quantity of solvent for the same and added to the solution of the organic derivatives of cellulose, or they may be added directly to such solution, or they may be incorporated in the solvent employed for'dissolving the derivatives of cellulose.

We have found that the addition of even a small quantity of glycerides of fatty acids, such as olive oil, improves the properties of the fila- 40 ments. However, we have found thatthe maximum benefit is derived when amounts of such substances equal to 5 to 20% or more of the weight of the cellulose derivative present are added to the spinning solution.

Filaments, yarns or films formed by our invention are tough and pliable, which is surprising since this would not be expected in theory. Thus yarns made from our filaments may have a twist imparted having more turns per unit length than may the prior yarns without reaching the weakening point. Yarns formed by our invention may be knitted much more closely than yarns made by the prior processes; that is, a circular knitted or warp knitted fabric may be formed having many more wales, courses or stitches per unit length than fabric made from the prior yarns. Yarns or bristles made by our process may be formed into stronger knots, while artificial straws or ribbons or the like made by our process have improved plaiting qualities and may be subjected to considerably more severe processing.

The glycerides of the fatty acids, such as olive oil, are retained in the yarn even after such yarn stands many months after its formation. This storage of the yarn does not affect its desirable knitting and other properties. The lustre of the yarns or filaments is substantially uniform. Even scouring of the yarns or filaments made in accordance with our invention with soap or alkaline solutions remove but a very small percentage of the oil present.

In order further to illustrate our invention but without being limited thereto the following specific examples are given.

Example I An acetone soluble cellulose acetate, containing approximately 54% of combined acetic acid, is dis solved in a solvent mixture consisting of 95 parts of acetone and 5 parts of water by weight. 1 part by weight of cellulose acetate is dissolved in 3 parts by weight of the solvent. To the solution thus formed, olive oil in amounts equal to about 10% of the weight of the cellulose acetate present is added, and the whole thoroughly mixed. This mixture is then filtered and is then spun through orifices either into a drying evaporative atmosphere or into a precipitating bath by known methods. The filaments thus formed may be associated together by twisting to form yarns.

Example II 1 part by weight of the cellulose acetate described in Example I is dissolved in 3 parts by weight of a solvent mixture consisting of parts by weight of acetone of 99% strength and 20 parts by weight of methyl alcohol. To this solution is added olive oil in amounts equal to 10% of the weight of the cellulose acetate employed. After thorough mixing and filtering the solution is extruded through orifices of a spinneret into a drying atmosphere or into a precipitating bath, and the filaments thus formed are associated together by twisting together to form yarns. The yarns thus formed may be knitted into a closely knitted circular knit fabric and this fabric is of good appearance.

In this example the methyl alcohol may be replaced in whole or in part by ethyl alcohol.

It is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description is given merely by way of illustration and that many variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of forming artificial filaments and like materials which comprises extruding a solution of an organic derivative of cellulose and a relatively non-volatile ester of a fatty acid in a solvent, the said relatively non-volatile ester being present in an amount between about 5 and 20% by weight of the organic derivative of cellulose and being retained in the materials during subsequent finishing operations.

2. The method of forming artificial filaments and like materials which comprises extruding a solution of cellulose acetate and a relatively nonvolatile ester of a fatty acid in a solvent, the said relatively non-volatile ester being present in an amount between about 5 and 20% by weight of the cellulose acetate and being retained in the materials during subsequent finishing operations.

3. The method of forming artificial filaments and like materials which comprises extruding into an evaporative atmosphere a solution of an organic derivative of cellulose and a glyceride of a fatty acid. in a volatile solvent, the said glyceride being present in an amount between about 5 and 20% by weight of the organic derivative of cellulose and being retained in the materials during subsequent finishing operations.

4. The method of forming artificial filaments and like materials which comprises extruding into an evaporative atmosphere a solution of cellulose acetate and a glyceride of a fatty acid in a volatile solvent, the said glyceride being present in an amount between about 5 and 20% by weight of the cellulose acetate and being retained in the materials during subsequent finishing operations.

5. The method of forming artificial filaments and like materials, which comprises extruding into an evaporative atmosphere a solution of an organic derivative of cellulose and olive oil in a volatile solvent, the said olive oil being present in an amount between about 5 and 20% by weight of the organic derivative of cellulose and being retained in the materials during subsequent finishing operations.

6. The method of forming artificial filaments and like materials which comprises extruding into an evaporative atmosphere a solution of cellulose acetate and olive oil in a'volatile solvent, the said olive oil being present in an amount between about 5 and 20% by weight of the cellulose acetate and being retained in the materials during subsequent finishing operations.

7. Finished artificial articles, films or filaments containing organic derivatives of cellulose and a glyceride of a fatty acid in an amount equal to about 10% of the weight of the organic derivative of cellulose present and distributed through said organic derivative of cellulose, which films or filaments are tough and pliable.

8. Finished artificial articles, films or filaments containing cellulose acetate and a glyceride of a fatty acid in an amount equal to about 10% of the weight of the cellulose acetate present and distributed through said cellulose acetate, which films or filaments are tough and pliable.

9. Finished artificial filaments containing organic derivatives of cellulose and olive oil in an amount equal to about 10% of the weight of the organic derivative of cellulose present and distributed through said organic derivative of cellulose.

10. Finished artificial filaments containing cellulose acetate and olive oil in an amount equal to about 10% of the weight of the cellulose acetate present and distributed through said cellulose acetate.

11. A woven or knitted fabric containing yarns comprising artificial filaments defined in claim '7.

12. A woven or knitted fabric containing yarns comprising artificial filaments defined in claim 10.

13. The method of forming artificial filaments and like materials comprising extruding a solution containing an organic derivative of cellulose, olive oil in an amount equal to about 10% of the weight of the organic derivative of cellulose present and a solvent mixture of acetone and a lower alcohol through an orifice into a 15 drying evaporative atmosphere and retaining the said olive oil in the said materials during subsequent finishing.

14. The method of forming artificial filaments and like materials comprising extruding a solution containing cellulose acetate, olive oil in an amount equal to about 10% of the weight of the cellulose acetate present and a solvent mixture of acetone and a lower alcohol through an orifice into a drying evaporative atmosphere and retaining the said olive oil in the said materials during subsequent finishing.

CAMILLE DREYFUS. WILLIAM WHITEHEAD.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent N0. 2,065,517. December 29, 1956.

CAMILLE DREYFUS, ET AL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 1, second column, lines 16 and 17, for the comma and words such as olein or stearin or materials" read for making the solution of the organic; and line 28, for "alein" read olein; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these Corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the Case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 25rd day of February, A. D. 1937.

Henry Van Arsdale (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

